Disadvantages Of A Class A When Fulltiming

[Kirk W]

8 hours ago, PunchItChewie said:

The reasons I've heard it was better is due to the wheel cut, and ability to jackknife  the trailer to make those tight corners.  They were talking more about tight spots in most CG's. 

I suspect that you were listening to owners of HDT/fifth wheel combinations. If you go hang out with the class A crowd you will hear how much easier it is with a motorhome and the class C owners will tell you that they drive best. The fact is that given the same skill level of the driver, it will depend on the reason a site is difficult to say which one can get into it more easily. Because I am most concerned about my vision, I prefer the class A as can clearly see much better while backing because it doesn't fold in the middle. A couple who we are friends with hated their class A for parking, but both of them had been long-haul truck drivers before retiring. We have a retired bus driver in Escapees who will tell you that a class A is by far the least difficult! 

I will tell you the same thing on this subject that I would on other debates over which RV is best. Listen well to owners when they tell you what is good about the RV that they have but totally ignore what they tell you is wrong with the preferred RV of other people. None of us are unbiased about what type of RV is best. When we find the one that we like best we tend to believe that everyone who buys something else is wrong. It is no different from the old Ford versus Chevy argument. 

[FL-JOE]

9 hours ago, PunchItChewie said:

Thanks for the input, and English was never my best subject.  So my sentence structures are a bit wonky most of the time.  I did mean that I heard HDT is better at tight maneuvering than a MH.  I also know that yes it does depend on the skill of the driver.  If I was to hop into an HDT, and try to back up a 5er it would take a while.  Someone driving a 40 foot MH with toad would be all done and set up by the time I got the trailer on spot.  The reasons I've heard it was better is due to the wheel cut, and ability to jackknife  the trailer to make those tight corners.  They were talking more about tight spots in most CG's.  Also as mentioned about training.  Even though WA does not require a CDL for a converted HDT, I have been thinking about taking classes at one of the local truck driving schools before I hit the road full time.  As an aside, I am considering a DP just for ease of getting my dog in and out.  A tractor would be a bit tall to ask my pup to jump into or out of.  I'm sure lifting him in and out would get old after a while.  Especially if he gets to pushing 70lbs.  Last month he was at 63lbs.  Also the fact that on a DP I could tow my F150, so don't need to get a different toad.

It is not impossible to train a large breed to get in and out of a road tractor (HDT).  I had a K-9 and when conducting searches of truck-tractor-trailer combinations he could get in and out of the cabs on his own.  He went up and in a lot faster than he came out.  I did have to lift him up into the trailers though, which at 95 pounds wasn't much fun even at a much younger age.

You may want to find a "practice" HDT and try to get him trained up.  I have seen numerous over-the-road trucker's at my fuel stops or in rest areas usually lifting their dogs in and out of the cabs, but in most cases they could easily train them to at least climb up into the cab.

[Dutch_12078]

52 minutes ago, FL-JOE said:

It is not impossible to train a large breed to get in and out of a road tractor (HDT).  I had a K-9 and when conducting searches of truck-tractor-trailer combinations he could get in and out of the cabs on his own.  He went up and in a lot faster than he came out.  I did have to lift him up into the trailers though, which at 95 pounds wasn't much fun even at a much younger age.

You may want to find a "practice" HDT and try to get him trained up.  I have seen numerous over-the-road trucker's at my fuel stops or in rest areas usually lifting their dogs in and out of the cabs, but in most cases they could easily train them to at least climb up into the cab.

As the dog ages though, that will become more of an issue. just as it does for all of us eventually...

[Big5er]

Dutch is 100% right. As your friend ages jumping is not an option. I assume your dog is a pet and not a working tool. Rather than trying to "train" your pet to jump up and down, risking injury, try looking for alternatives. 

PetLoader is a great solution. I had an 80lb lab/chow who had been shot and suffered a broken front leg due to the injury which healed incorrectly when he lived on the street. Jumping up was not the issue, letting him jump down was not an option. The PetLoader works fine for my Volvo, check out this video on their web page. There are other solutions available but I like the way the PetLoader collapses and folds away.

[PunchItChewie]

2 hours ago, rm.w/aview said:

Sometimes I just come to this forum to just read and learn cool stuff like this 👍

I have learned a lot just browsing, and asking random questions.  Nice thing is, unlike other forums, I haven't really seen anyone get flamed.  Heck people in just this post alone are patient with me, and explaining the flaws in what I've said.

Big5er yes Chewie is my pet, and not a working dog.  I was nervous about him jumping out of my f150 when he was a bit smaller.  He didn't want to wait for me to help him down.  I like that pet loader, and if I go with a HDT will definitely pick one up.  Long and short I just need to go sit in some RV's to get a feel for what I want.  Have seen a few Thor diesels (on RV trader) that have the door behind the passenger seat.  I kinda like that style more than traditional DP set up, but haven't been inside a class A since 2009.

[Big5er]

In my opinion the door behind the seat wastes space. That could be a cabinet or couch or anything else.  The door in front of the seat wastes nothing.

As for the pet loader a friend at an HDT rally had a large retriever that was getting old and had issues walking up the rv steps. I took my pet loader over and, due to the larger platforms, Trash had no problem walking up and down them. Jim ordered one and had it delivered to the campground.

[PunchItChewie]

I see your point about the wasted space.  The one I was looking at back in 2009 had the tv at an angle to the left of the door, and couch and swivel chairs behind the driver and passenger seats.  I think I liked it because it was the only one that didn't feel like you had to sit sideways to watch tv.  Have to go see how the newer floor plans look.

[Kirk W]

1 hour ago, PunchItChewie said:

I see your point about the wasted space. 

While that is true, we had a class A with a mid door and loved it that way. One of the reasons was that most of the things that you take out and put into an RV are kitchen related, ie groceries, garbage, and such. With our mid door, none of that passed through the living area or across that carpet. In addition, guests did not have to pass all of the way through the living room to gain entry. But the loss of the space is a fact so there tradeoffs. 

[Barbaraok]

We have a mid-door DP, Which is rare, and like  Kirk love being able to go right to the kitchen, also have awning out and entering under cover.  Both driving and navigator’s seats turn around and the navigators’s seat slides back towards the dash for our living room.  Never felt deprived of seating space.

[PunchItChewie]

1 hour ago, Kirk Wood said:

But the loss of the space is a fact so there tradeoffs. 

True, and some don't think of it as a loss of space.  Not having lived in a class A, to me I didn't think of it as a loss of space.  It just seems more like the 5th wheel I lived in years ago with a mid entry. 

[RV_]

Thanks for the pet loader page. Bogart, our 60 pound full blood Shar-Pei who we full timed with in Germany and RVing and had for several years after had to be lifted and I sure could have used that. The dog we just had to put down Skylar had a weak hind legs from the vet not catching the thyroid deficiency in time, which was caught when we switched vets and cost little to relieve. But the damage was done to his weight and muscles. He had a good five more years of life to the rip old age of 10 anyway. We lived in our next to current fiver for almost a year while the new house dirt and concrete foundation were done and the house finished. It was much heavier and similar to this: https://www.ebay.com/p/Homcom-10-Folding-Aluminum-Ramp-Portable-Suitcase-Mobility-Wheelchair-Threshold/26021717544?iid=371221449634

Skylar handled the ramp fine but could no way use the trailer steps. If our current and last dog, Maggie ever needs one we will know they are available.

Thanks Big5vr.

[Big5er]

Derek,
Bullet had a incorrectly healed left front leg and as he aged his hips started giving him issues. There was no way he could have used his back legs to propel himself up a ramp. He could navigate the Pet Loader one step at a time a lot easier than anything else I tried. At one time the ex and I traveled with 5 dogs. I could stand at the trailer and load them one at a time. "Dog 1, go get in the truck" and the first one would run out of the trailer and up the Pet Loader. "Dog 2, go get in the truck". "Dog3...". I would walk with the old man to the truck and stand close, just in case. He was slow but never had an issue.

I currently have 2 ankle biters that are just easier to grab and put in the truck but the Pet Loader is still in its' compartment...for the day I need it again. 

[RV_]

Bullet was a sturdy handsome dog judging by your pic, with a million dollar smile. We want to travel to Oz and New Zealand and we can fly free on military hops but no dogs allowed. So when Maggie cashes out I don't think we'll have another. We've had two Great Danes, a miniature Dachshund, then our Shar-Pei which is on our photo page on my website. Our now gone Skylar was half border collie, and half lab. Maggie is a medium size mutt that we found with her brother thrown out in a dutch with her all black brother. She is Black and white like Skylar was. The vet can't even hazard a guess as to her mix of breeds. She's very smart and athletic, yet will sit and stare quietly for an hour patiently waiting for attention just staring perfectly still. I will likely need the stairs in the future.

[Kirk W]

Perhaps someone should start a thread about the advantages of a class A?  Or of a travel trailer? Or maybe a truck camper? A class C? Or class B?  An honest and truly knowledgeable person would realize that every type of RV has both advantages and disadvantages. We need to realize that the best choice for ourselves is not necessarily the best for anyone else. 

[PunchItChewie]

9 hours ago, RV_ said:

 we can fly free on military hops but no dogs allowed.  

I've already put the bug in my sisters ear about looking after Chewie for a little bit so I can go to Europe space A in a few years.  Have heard they charge a small fee now a days, but that could just be rumor mill.

[RV_]

12 hours ago, Kirk Wood said:

Perhaps someone should start a thread about the advantages of a class A?  Or of a travel trailer? Or maybe a truck camper? A class C? Or class B?  An honest and truly knowledgeable person would realize that every type of RV has both advantages and disadvantages. We need to realize that the best choice for ourselves is not necessarily the best for anyone else. 

An honest and truly knowledgeable person would realize . . . .

We need to realize . . . .

Nope must not be any honest and truly knowledgeable people here, Kirk said so!

Kirk, your realizations about what others need to do haven't been realized, we're sorry.??

[kb0zke]

Wow, lots of interesting ideas in this thread.

We are one the extreme end of things. Almost two years ago we spent six weeks in a hotel (with our cat) as our 23-year-old engine was rebuilt. Just looking at the costs, when we found out that the engine needed rebuilding we probably should have sold the coach for a couple of thousand, traded the Jeep for a pickup, and spent the money we spent on the hotel and engine on an Airstream. Unfortunately, we didn't know what we were in for, and to be fair, I don't think anyone did.

We have spent the night inside a factory while having work done. Had we been so inclined, we could have gotten up in the middle of the night and helped ourselves to all sorts of things. We had spent the previous night outside that factory, as we wanted to be there prior to our appointment. They couldn't finish by the end of the day, so we were able to stay in our coach inside the shop. We were plugged into 50A service and had use of the bathrooms, which included showers.

Like the OP, we spent years researching what would be the best full-time coach for us. We eventually settled on this Foretravel, and we've enjoyed our time with it - even with the engine rebuild. At the time of the engine work we actually had the coach sold, and we were going to get the truck and Airstream because, at that time, that combination made more sense for us. Things have changed again, and the MH again makes the most sense.

Look at how you want to live, and buy the coach that makes the most sense for you. Get used to the idea that something will tow something else. If you buy a DP you be visiting truck shops because some of what makes your coach go and stop is also used by big trucks. If you buy a gasser you will more likely be visiting the truck side of an automobile dealership.

Yes, our 25-year-old coach costs us some money each year, but so did our S&B. The S&B couldn't take us to interesting places, and our Foretravel can. So could a truck and trailer, or even a van. In fact, as I write this, there is a couple camping in a new Chevy cargo van. They are on a cross-country trip, and enjoying themselves.

[FL-JOE]

David, very well said!  This is just the type of post from an experienced full timer that a newbie should be seeing on here.

[RV_]

On 9/19/2018 at 12:21 PM, PunchItChewie said:

I've already put the bug in my sisters ear about looking after Chewie for a little bit so I can go to Europe space A in a few years.  Have heard they charge a small fee now a days, but that could just be rumor mill.

Hey PunchitChewie!

You might like these newsletter from the road when we were full timing from late 2000. Our HitchHiker first 36 foot fiver was totaled by a repair place, insurance paid and we needed to fly to Indiana to see a very low priced Challenger 36 footer. So I used my usual warped sense of humor to relate the experience of using a hop as a retiree here:

http://home.earthlink.net/~derekgore/rvroadiervfulltimingwhatisitreallylike/id35.html

 And here:

http://home.earthlink.net/~derekgore/rvroadiervfulltimingwhatisitreallylike/id36.html

If you liked that here are my other humor pieces with a Serious (For Me) Pubic Service announcement:

http://home.earthlink.net/~derekgore/rvroadiervfulltimingwhatisitreallylike/id55.html

Safe travels!